Leg rest attachment for a folding chair



Feb. 21, 1956 H. D. sues LEG REST ATTACHMENT FOR A FOLDING CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 8, 1955 IN V EN TOR.

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LEG REST ATTACHMENT FOR A FOLDING CHAIR Filed May 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 o INVENTOR.

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United States Patent LEG REST ATTACHMENT FOR A FOLDING CHAIR Hubert D. Bugg, Yuma, Ariz., assignor of twenty-five per cent to J. S. Bugg, Jr., Laguna Beach, Calif.

Application May 8, 1953, Serial No. 353,879

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-171) This invention relates to folding chairs and more particularly to a folding chair having an adjustable frame and a flexible seat and back member adjustably mounted on the frame.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved folding chair which includes an adjustable frame of pivotally interconnected members and a flexible seat and back member or webbing adjustably mounted on the frame for variation in its sag or tension; which includes a detachable leg rest that can be used to provide a hard seat for the chair; which can be folded to a fiat and compact condition for transportation or storage; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, comfortable to use, and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l isa side elevational view of a chair illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the chair illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the chair;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side elevational. view of the chair in its position of maximum inclination;

Figure 6 is an inverted perspective view of a leg rest for the chair; and

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view on the line 77 of Figure 6.

With continued reference to the drawings, the' chair comprises a frame including a pair. of seat members 10 and 11 in the form of elongated wooden strips of elongated, rectangular cross sectional shape, disposed in spaced apart and substantially parallel and coterminous relationship to each other, a pair of back members 13" and 14 constituted by wooden strips similar to the strips forming the seat members 10 and 11 and disposed in spaced apart, substantially parallel and coterminous relationship toeach other and at the outer sides of. the seat members 10 and 1 1 respectively. The back members 13 and 14 are pivotally connected intermediate their length to the seat members 10 and 11 respectively but nearer the front than the rear ends of the seat members and corresponding ends of the. seat andback members are ground-engaging, as illustrated in Figure l, to support the chair in upright position on-the ground The chair framefurther includes apair ofbrace members 15" and 16'disposed in spaced apart andsubstantially'parallel relationship to each otherand'pivotally'connected at corresponding ends to the back members 13 and 14 respectively intermediate the length of the back members and above the seat members 10 and 11, arm rests 17 and 18 pivotally connected at their rear ends to the brace members 15 and 16 respectively intermediate the length of the brace members and arm posts or standards 19 and 20 pivotally connected at their upper ends to the arm rests 17 and 18 respectively at the inner edges of and intermediate the length of the arm rests and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the back members 13 and 14 respectively at the pivotal connections between the back and seat members of the frame.

A bar or dowel 21 extends between and is secured at its respectively opposite ends to the seat members 10 and 11 at the front ends of the seat members and a corresponding bar or dowel 22 extends between and is secured at its opposite ends to the seat members near the rear or lower ends of the seat members, the two seat members 11 and 11 and the bars or rods 21 and 22 constituting a sub-frame structure of rectangular shape.

A rod or bar 23 extends between and is secured at its ends to the back members 13 and 14 near the front, lower ends of these members and a corresponding bar 24 ex tends between and is secured to the back members at the upper ends of these members. Apertured extensions 25 and 26 are provided on the back members at the upper ends of these members and extending from the rear edges thereof and a rod or roller 28 is journaled in these brackets, a pin 29 being insertible through a hole in the bracket 26 and into a transverse hole in the roller 28 to lock the roller in selected positions of rotational adjustment relative to the back members 13 and 14.

A rod or bar 30 extends between and is secured to the' brace members 15 and 16 at the ends of these members: remote from the corresponding back members 13 and 14- of canvas or other strong fabric, of elongated, rectangular shape, extends over the bar 24 and issecured at one end to the bar 21 and wrapped at its other end' on the roller 28 so that its sag or tension can be adjusted by turning the roller 28 to different rotational positions relative to the back members Band 14 of the frame.

A pair of books, as indicated at 36 in Figure 4,. are secured to the bar 3i) at spaced apart locations therealong and are engageable with the bar 22 to support the back members of the chair frame at a maximum position of inclination relative to the seat members, as illustrated in Figure 5', in which relative position of the seat and back members the chair may be used as a couch or as a crib for achild.

A- band of fabric or webbing 38' extends between the back members 13 and 14 between the seat members 10 and 11 and the upper ends of theback membersand is adjustable by means of straps, as indicated at 39, connected between spaced apart ends thereof. A leg rest attachment for the chair is generally indicated at 40 and comprises a plate or platform 41 of rectangular shape mounted on a rectangular frame'42 which is smaller than the platform and the members of which are disposed inwardly of the corresponding edges of the platform. Spaced'apart cover members 43 and 44 are secured to the side of the-frame 42 remote from the platform 41 to. provide at the underside of the platform a magazine storage compartment within the frame 42, one end of the frame being open so-thatmagazines can be'placed in and removed from the storage compartment. A bowed leaf spring 45 is mounted at one end on the cover member 43 at the bottom of the frame 42 and extends across the space between the members 43 and 44. This spring is bowed from the members 43 and 44 toward the undersurface of the platform 41 and serves to engage magazines and hold them in the storage space. A leg structure 46 is pivotally secured to the cover member 43 adjacent the open end of the frame 42 and extends transversely of the frame 42 and platform 41. This structure includes a pair of spaced apart and substantially parallel legs 47 and 48 and flat bars 49 and 50 extending between and secured to the legs 47 and 48 in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other. A flexible strand 51 is connected at one end to the frame 42 at the open end of the frame and extends under the cross bar 49 of the leg structure and is connected at its other end to one end of a tension spring 52 the other end of which is connected to the frame at a location spaced from the open end of the latter. This strand 51 and spring 52 releasably holds the leg structure in position in which the leg structure is disposed perpendicular to the frame and platform structure, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, or in which the leg structure is folded against the frame and platform structure, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4.

Flat hooks 54 and 55 are secured to the platform 41 at the underside of the platform and at respectively opposite sides of the frame structure 42 and extend outwardly from the end of the platform remote from the leg structure 46 and a third hook 56 is secured to the undersurface of the cover member 44 at the midlength location of this cover member and projects outwardly from the end of the frame and platform structure remote from the leg structure 46. The hook 56 is opposed to the hooks 54 and S and is resiliently urged in opposition to these hooks by a compression spring 57 mounted on the platform structure 41 and resiliently engaging the hook 56.

The hooks 54, 55 and 56 can be engaged with the cross rod 21 at the front end of the seat members 10 and 11, and with the legs depending perpendicularly from the frame and platform structure, the platform can be extended outwardly from the front ends of the seat members of the chair and supported on the legs 47 and 48, as illustrated in Figure 5, to provide a leg rest extension at the front end of the chair.

With the leg structure folded against the underside of the leg rest attachment, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, and with the hooks 54, 55 and 56 engaged with the cross rod 21, the platform 41 of the leg rest can be disposed below the seat providing portion of the member 34 and the end of the leg rest remote from the hooks can be supported from the back members 13 and 14 by suitable hook and chain connectors, as indicated at 60, connected one to each end of the leg structure 46 with the hooks engageable in corresponding screw eyes, as indicated at 61, projecting from the back members 13 and 14 near the pivotal connections between these back members and the corresponding brace members 15 and 16. When positioned as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, the leg rest attachment provides a hard seat for the chair to increase the comfort of the chair when the chair is in a condition of intermediate or minimum inclination.

The arm rests 17 and 18 of the chair are provided with pockets 63 and 64 respectively opening to the upper surfaces of the arm rests to receive cigarette packages or similar articles and the arm rests are of sufficient width that ash trays, plates, or other articles may be disposed on the arm rests if desired. Also, a bellows pocket 65 is provided on the back side of the back portion of the flexible member 34 and extends above the upper edge of the band 38 to receive flat objects, such as magazines or a flexible cover for covering and protecting the chair when not in use.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential character- 4 istics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a foldable chair comprising a frame including seat bars disposed in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship, back bars disposed in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship and each pivotally con nected intermediate its length to a corresponding seat bar intermediate the length of the latter, a rod extending between and secured at its ends to said seat bars at the front ends of the latter, and a flexible webbing extending between said back bars and having one end connected to the upper ends of said back bars and having the other end connected to said rod, the improvement consisting of a leg rest attachment arranged in longitudinal alignment with respect to said back bars adjacent said rod and having one end releasably connected to said rod for movement from its extended position to a seat-reinforcing position underneath the adjacent portion of said webbing, and flexible connectors extending from the other end of said attachment and detachably connectable to said back bars to hold said attachment in its seat-reinforcing position.

2. In a foldable chair including seat bars disposed in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship, back bars disposed in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship and each pivotally connected intermediate its length to a corresponding seat bar intermediate the length of the latter, a rod extending between and secured at its ends to said seat bars at the front ends of the latter, and a flexible webbing extending between said back bars and having one end connected to the upper ends of said back bars and having the other end connected to said rod, the improvement consisting of a leg rest attachment arranged in longitudinal alignment with respect to said back bars adjacent said rod, spaced hooks on one end of said attachment and releasably connected to said rod for the movement of said attachment from its extended position to a seat-reinforcing position underneath the adjacent portion of said webbing, flexible connectors extending from the other end of said attachment and detachably connectible to said back bars to hold said attachment in its seat-reinforcing position, and a leg structure positioned adjacent the other end of said attachment and pivotally connected to said attachment other end for movement from a position parallel to said attachment to a perpendicular position with respect to said attachment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 503,246 McQuillen Aug. 15, 1893 1,002,305 Pattinson Sept. 5, 1911 1,715,118 Clark May 28, 1929 1,939,568 Panhorst Dec. 12, 1933 1,980,615 Emerson Nov. 13, 1934 1,985,823 Freedman Dec. 25, 1934 2,182,516 Coble Dec. 5, 1939 2,561,886 Rikelman July 24, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 335,182 Great Britain Sept. 17, 1930 365,333 Great Britain Ian. 21, 1932 392,153 Great Britain May 9, 1933 411,974 Germany Apr. 14, 1925 445,779 Great Britain Apr. 17, 1936 526,027 Great Britain Sept. 10, 1940 

